1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to pick-up bed cargo organizers and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods for a light-weight, easily installable/removable, and highly configurable pick-up bed organizer.
2. Description of the Background
Pickup trucks have been used for many years as work vehicles and typically have a rectangular open bed. The bed has side walls that permit large objects to be hauled. One basic problem faced by the commercial and personal operators of pickups when hauling cargo is that the forward, side, and stopping movements of the pickup truck causes the cargo to become crushed and scattered. Another problem is that weight distribution and cargo shifting greatly affect vehicle driving characteristics and traction. It is preferable to position the cargo in a desired position but at a minimum it is highly desirable that the weight of the cargo does not shift. Another problem often encountered is that pickup truck drivers normally have to climb on the tire, step or bumper in awkward and potentially physically stressful positions to reach the hauled cargo. It is particularly disadvantageous to be unable to position heavy cargo in a convenient loading/unloading position such as a raised position with respect to the pickup bed. Numerous attempts have been made to solve the above and other problems. However, devices presently available suffer numerous problems including installation/removal difficulty, cargo configuration inflexibility, damage or need to modify some types of truck-beds, significant manufacturing costs, low reliability, difficulty of repair, significant weight, lack of portability, difficulty of use, maintenance problems, and the like.
Some previous attempts to obtain the benefits of a pick-up bed organizer are shown in the following representative patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,916 issued Aug. 19, 1997 to John Tackett relates to a molded shell with a hinged cover for carrying ballast or other items in pickup truck beds. The shell is designed to fit into the bed of a truck and is formed to fit around the wheel wells. The limitations with this storage unit is that it is bulky and cumbersome. It cannot be easily removed or replaced and limits the usage capabilities of the pickup truck bed. This system probably requires that two people be available for installation and removal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,899 issued Mar. 29, 1988 to Orbrie Keys relates to a portable divider device for dividing the bed of a pickup truck into smaller compartments so that material, such as groceries, deposited in the smaller compartments do not spill all over the bed. The divider device is applicable on trucks with a camper shell of the type that encloses the entire truck bed, leaving only an access door at the rear of the truck which may be opened to place cargo near the tailgate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,506 issued May 16, 1995 to Phillip E. Payne relates to a combination for partitioning a pick-up truck bed. The bed includes a first plurality of vertically disposed channels integrally formed in the first side wall, a second plurality of vertically disposed channels integrally formed in the second side wall and at least one bulkhead member. The bed uses a vertical channel disposed in both the first and second interior wheel houses. The bulkheads are designed to slide into an opposing set of channels.
U.S. Pat. No 5,494,315 issued Feb. 27, 1996 to Boyd Heltenburg relates to a truck bed ballast apparatus that includes a container assembly and a foot assembly adapted for connection to a truck bed. An inlet aperture is located on a wall of the container assembly. A quantity of sand can be added to the container assembly. The container assembly is adapted to be juxtaposed to a fender well projecting upward from the truck adjacent to a side wall of the truck bed. An additional embodiment is revealed. The embodiment utilizes a bracing element between fender wells.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,898 issued Mar. 29, 1988 to Scottie Williams relates to a combination storage unit and auxiliary bed liner assembly. The storage unit covers the entire open area of the pickup truck bed, with the space between the auxiliary bed liner and the truck bed being partitioned to provide multiple storage compartments. A top-opening compartment is formed on each side of the two rear wheel well regions. Two pull out drawers located under the liner and between the upper compartments extend the entire length of the pickup truck bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,322 issued Aug. 11, 1992 to Scott Muirhead relates to a storage compartment in the shape of a rooftop that slopes from the front of the pickup truck bed and extends outward taking up approximately one third of the bed. The chest is hinged for easy access. Extending over the wheel wells are cargo compartments. A liner insert combination is included. The purpose for this invention is to provide the pickup truck driver with a secure place to store cargo.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,969 issued Apr. 19, 1994 to Larry W. Simnacher relates to a storage device that is hydraulically maneuvered from a stowed position to a usable position. The storage area is affixed to the sidewall of the pickup truck. It extends the entire length of the pickup truck bed and is approximately 20 inches wide. A hinged door is located on top of the storage unit allowing storage and easy accessibility. A fluid activated lift is attached to the bottom of the storage unit at both ends. The hydraulic system moves cargo from the bottom of the bed to above the side walls.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,931 issued Jul. 16, 1996 to John R. Barlow; Russell S. Stephanchick relates to modified storage systems. The storage system includes a compartment defining structure pivotally coupled to the vehicle for movement between a first position wherein the structure straddles and is located over the wheel well and a second position wherein the structure is located adjacent to the wheel well and supported on the floor.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 279,664 issued Jul. 16, 1985 to John E. Waters relates to an over the wheel well truck tool box.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,794 issued Dec. 5, 1972 to James R. Flamm relates to a support deck selectively mountable within a pickup truck bed so as to define an elevated platform over the wheel well covers whereby the full width of the box can be utilized for the accommodation of snowmobiles or the like. The deck, either in its entirety or along the rear portion thereof, slopes downward so as to facilitate the movement of snowmobiles thereon and therefrom. Access to the rear of the deck is provided by means of a removable inclined ramp.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,000 issued Oct. 22, 1996 to Scott Clare relates to a hidden storage utility system. The storage system is located adjacent to the wheel well sections of the bed and uses hinges to open and close the side panel of the bed. The storage system does not alter the appearance of the pickup truck. The storage area does not extend inward beyond the wheel wells.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,201 issued Jan. 14, 1997 to Nick Bateman relates to a truck tool organizer system including a tuck bed cover that has a top planar portion with a pair of side projections, a front wall, a rear door and a pair of side walls. The rear door has a window centrally positioned therein and a turn handle that extends from a bottom end of the door. Each side wall has a window positioned within. Included is a bottom shell that is positioned within a truck bed and adjacent a pair of wheel wells. The shell has an interior bottom with a pair of front casters attached. The shell receives a drawer that slides. Lastly, included is a center unit. The center unit is positioned in the truck bed and has a floor portion with a pair of tool bins. Each tool bin is positioned above the wheel well of the truck bed with the floor portion as a tool bin base.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,514 issued Oct. 10, 1995 to Kendall Justice relates to a pickup truck bed organizer apparatus that includes a layer of flat belting material in which a plurality of panels is defined by a plurality of cuts. Each panel extends between the sides of the material and is pivotable from a down position to an up position. The panels are under tension in their up position due to the inherent properties of the material and return to their down position as part of the layer material when goods which are against them are removed. The panels are pivoted to divide the cargo or bed area of the truck into any of a plurality of separate compartments for organizing goods or cargo or for holding the cargo in any or all of the various compartments.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,486 issued Jun. 27, 1995 to Gerald D. Green relates to an adjustable load securing device for securing a partial load in a load carrying area of a vehicle has a rectangular panel of compressible material and at least two spaced, upper and lower elongated members of adjustable length extending across the width of the panel and attached to it. Each elongated member has feet for gripping engagement with opposite side walls of a load carrying area when the elongated member is adjusted in length to fit across the area.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,476 issued May 30, 1995 to W. Wyatt White relates to a truck tool box with a locking door plate. The invention has first and second pivoting lids mounted relative to the top wall of the container, with the front wall of the container including a lock plate movable mounted relative to the front wall to effect compartmentalizing of storage below the tool box container relative to the truck bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,761 issued Nov. 23, 1993 to Richard C. Hathaway et al relates to a modular rail system. The system comprises first and second rail assemblies overlying the top surfaces of the first and second truck bed side walls for releasably connecting with the side walls. A flexible cover overlies the bed covering and providing protection for the bed. A locking mechanism is likewise provided and is associated with the cover and the rail assemblies for lockingly attaching the cover to the rail assemblies and securing the cover in place over the truck bed. The rail system may additionally include a tie down bar, a light bar, a utility box, a camper top, and a single or multi-piece bed liner, each of which is supported and connected to the rail assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,033 issued Mar, 26, 1997 to Walter K. Boyd relates to an apparatus for use with a vehicle having an open-topped cargo carrying compartment with first and second side walls which includes first and second elongated side rails attached to the side walls, respectively, and first and second connectors mounted on the first and second side rails respectively, for movement along the associated side rail. The connectors can be locked in position along their associated side rails. First and second retainers are coupled to the first and second connectors respectively for movement with the connectors and the retainers are adapted to extend into the cargo-carrying compartment. Each of the retainers can retain one side of a divider in position within the cargo-carrying compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,776 issued Oct. 15, 1996 to Bradley S. Schlachter relates to a storage enclosure for open pickup truck bed. It includes a horizontal top wall extending between the sidewalls and a front wall having a hinged wall portion which may be positioned extending above the deck to form an enclosure space forward of the tailgate when in its closed position. The hinged wall portion may be positioned to extend vertically downwardly from the front wall at its hinge connection to increase the size of the enclosure space defined between the top wall and the load deck, the opposed sidewalls and the tailgate in its closed position. The hinged wall portion may be locked in either working position. The enclosure top wall may be secured to the opposed loadbed sidewalls at stake recesses and the front wall may have opposed recesses to accommodate the loadbed sidewall beam portions. The enclosure is particularly adapted for open loadbed vehicles.
A review of the above patents shows that there remains a need for a light-weight pick-up bed organizer easily installed and configured by a single person without the need for tools. The pick-up bed organizer should be inexpensive, easily removable, be sturdy, highly adaptable, and fit with all models of pick-up trucks. Those skilled in the art have long sought and will appreciate the present invention which addresses these and other problems.